Circulating and disintegrating rotor for pulping apparatus



March 2, 1965 w. M. LOWRY 4 3,171,506

CIRCULATING AND DISINTEGRATING ROTOR FOR PULPING APPARATUS Filed June 6, 1962 lllll 1| 'HHl II III, LHHI INVENTOR. fl ri'emfllawr BY MM M United States Patent Jones Corporation, Pittsfield, Mass, a corporation of Delaware Filed June 6, 1962, Ser. No. 200,552 '1 Ciaim. (Cl. 241296) While this invention is especially useful in making paper pulp from dry paper or lap pulp, it is also useful in apparatus for disintegrating or defibering other materials such as ramie, bagasse, etc., as for example in a machine such as disclosed in the copending application of Dwight E. Jones, Ser. No. 178,696, filed March 9, 1962, now abandoned.

Objects of the invention are to provide a circulating and disintegrating apparatus which is simple and economi cal in construction, which is eiiicient and rapid in action, which can produce very fine attrition, which does not damage the fibers, which does not tend to clog, which has improved hydrodynamic performance, and which is durable and reliable in use.

According to the present invention the circulating and disintegrating rotor comprises a disk having on one side thereof attrition vanes for disintegrating material, the vanes inclining outwardly in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the rotor so as to propel the material outwardly and the height of the vanes increasing toward their outer ends, characterized in that the edge of each vane facing away from the aforesaid disk is a surface of revolution, preferably a conical surface which is coaxial with the disk. Preferably all of the aforesaid edges are disposed in the same outline of revolution so that they can be machined by turning the rotor about its own axis.

In a more specific aspect of the invention the aforesaid edges of the vanes facing away from the disk have inner and outer portions each sloping toward the disk, the inner portions sloping inwardly and the outer portions sloping outwardly, said portions being surfaces of revolution, preferably conical, coaxial with the disk.

For the purpose of illustration a typical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a side view with portions broken away;

FIG. 2 is a plan view; and

FIGS. 3 and 4 are sections on lines 33 and 44 of FIG. 2.

The particular embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustration comprises a disk 1 mounted on a shaft 2 to be journaled in the bottom of a tank as in the aforesaid application. Fastened to the upper surface of a disk 1 by means of screws 4 is another disk 6 of somewhat smaller diameter. Fastened to the top of the disk 6 are vanes '7 which incline outwardly in the direction opposite of the direction of rotation so as to propel material in the tank outwardly from the axis of the rotor. As shown in FIG. 1 the height of the vanes increases toward their outer ends.

According to the present invention the edges of the vanes facing away from the disk have inner portions 8 and outer portions 9, the inner portions sloping inwardly and the outer portions sloping outwardly. The outer portions 9 are disposed in the outline of a cone which is esaxial with the disk and which has its apex directed away from the disk and the inner portions 8 are disposed in the outline of a cone which is coaxial with the disk and which has its apex pointing in the opposite direction. Thus the surfaces 8 and 9 may be machined by turning the rotor about its own axis past a cutting tool or grinding wheel. Consequently the surfaces 8 and 9 meet in lines concentrio with the axis of the disk. The outer ends 10 of the vanes are also concentric with said axis.

By virtue of the present invention the vanes 7 propel the material outwardly with a minmum of turbulence and a maximum of hydrodynamic performance.

The protuberance 11 and spiral vane 12 for preventing material from sticking to the center of the rotor are claimed in the copending application of William W. Monks Ser. No. 113,303, filed May 29, 1961.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A circulating and disintegrating rotor for pulping apparatus comprising a disk and on one side thereof attrition vanes for disintegrating material, the vanes inclining outwardly in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation so as to propel the material outwardly and the height of the vanes increasing toward their outer ends, charac terized in that the edges of the vanes facing away from said disk have inner and outer portions each sloping toward the disk, the inner portions sloping inwardly and the outer portions sloping outwardly, said outer portions being disposed in the outline of a cone which is coaxial with the disk and which has its apex directed away from the disk and said inner portions being disposed in the outline of a cone which is coaxial with the disk and which has its apex pointing in the opposite direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,023,972 Honeyman Mar. 6, 1962 3,043,526 Cowles July 10, 1962 3,085,756 Danforth et a1. Apr. 16, 196 35 

